Increasing species diversity through sowing summer multi-species cover crops into pasture for grazing was one of the highlights of a Resource Consulting Services keep-in-touch (RCS KIT) day at Willowlea near Narrandera in NSW, attended by James Diack from the Soils for Life team.

Michael and Heloise Gooden, who own Willowlee, are members of the 8 families group, and have taken part in our most recent case study. “It was great to be there to support one of our case study participants and have a chance to see and discuss his approach to grazing management, and see some of the innovative cost saving devices he has built,” James said.

Michael and Heloise use time controlled grazing, moving their cattle regularly through smaller paddocks. Michael has built a portable water trough, which cost about $1,500 and is easy to move around the farm. Michael tows it behind the quad bike when he moves the cattle to a new location. This helps minimise the cost of putting in multiple new watering points when dividing paddocks up for time controlled grazing, and allows flexibility if combined with temporary electric fencing. Michael has also built a portable shade shelter to provide shade for his cattle until he has more substantive tree cover on his property. Also attached to the shade shelter is a free-choice lick feeder, made of drench containers cut in half with different kinds of lick powder to allow the cattle to choose the supplements they need.